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Category: Politics
June 26, 2025
Health
Politics

Supreme Court: States Can Deny Planned Parenthood Medicaid Funds.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Supreme Court ruled in favor of South Carolina’s effort to block Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood clinics.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, Medicaid patients, and the U.S. Supreme Court.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The case stems from a 2018 executive order in South Carolina, with the Supreme Court issuing its ruling on June 26, 2025.

🎯IMPACT: The decision could pave the way for a number of state governments to bar Planned Parenthood from qualifying for Medicaid funding, delivering a significant financial blow to the abortion provider.

IN FULL

The Supreme Court has ruled that South Carolina has the authority to block Medicaid funding for Planned Parenthood clinics, siding with the state in Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. Medicaid and government grants comprise a significant portion of Planned Parenthood’s funding, meaning the ruling likely signifies a substantial financial blow to the nation’s largest abortion provider.

South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster (R) signed an executive order in 2018 directing the removal of abortion clinics, including Planned Parenthood South Atlantic, from the Medicaid provider list. McMaster argued that public health dollars directed to Planned Parenthood effectively subsidized abortions. Federal law already prohibits Medicaid funds from being used for abortions except under limited circumstances.

Planned Parenthood South Atlantic contended that the issue was not about abortion but about access to general healthcare services, including contraception, cancer screenings, and STI testing. The organization operates just two clinics in South Carolina. The abortion provider argued that blocking Medicaid funding could significantly impact patients’ access to “care.”

The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals previously ruled in favor of Planned Parenthood, stating that Medicaid patients could sue to protect their individual right to choose a qualified provider. However, the Supreme Court found that the lower court misinterpreted precedent and that it “permits private plaintiffs to sue for violations of federal spending-power statutes only in ‘atypical’ situations, Talevski, 599 U. S., at 183, where the provision in question ‘clear[ly]’ and ‘unambiguous[ly]’ confers an individual ‘right.'”

Image by Fibonacci Blue.

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June 26, 2025
Corruption
Politics

Top Biden Aide Doesn’t Know Who Approved Autopen Signatures.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: A top aide to former President Joe Biden testified before Congress regarding the use of an autopen to sign presidential directives and the approval process behind it, acknowledging she was unsure who actually gave final approval for the autopen’s use.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Neera Tanden, former director of Biden’s Domestic Policy Council, and members of the House Oversight Committee.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Tanden testified in a closed-door session on Tuesday at the U.S. Capitol.

💬KEY QUOTE: “[Tanden] explained that to obtain approval for autopen signatures, she would send decision memos to members of the President’s inner circle and had no visibility of what occurred between sending the memo and receiving it back with approval” – House Oversight Chairman James Comer.

🎯IMPACT: The testimony sheds light on the internal processes surrounding Biden’s use of autopen signatures and raises questions about transparency and oversight.

IN FULL

Neera Tanden, a senior aide to former President Joe Biden, testified before the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday in a closed-door session. Serving as Domestic Policy Council director and staff secretary from 2021 to 2023, Tanden was empowered to authorize the use of the autopen to sign orders and legislation on behalf of the President, but she admitted to the committee that she was unaware of who actually gave final approval before its use. The autopen was used, especially in the final year of Biden’s term in office, to sign numerous pardons, memos, executive orders, and other presidential directives.

According to Tanden’s testimony, the approval process for using the autopen was inherited from previous administrations. She explained that decision memos were sent to Biden’s inner circle for approval. However, Tanden reiterated that she was unaware of who specifically gave the final clearance and admitted that she had limited interaction with Biden during her tenure.

When asked whether she had discussed Biden’s health or fitness to serve as President, Tanden denied having such conversations. Lawmakers provided a list of officials she could have potentially discussed these issues with, but Tanden responded “no” to each name, according to sources familiar with the testimony.

Speaking to reporters after the session, Tanden said, “I just spoke with the House Oversight Committee, Majority and Minority Council. I answered every question, was pleased to discuss my public service and it was a thorough process. And I’m glad I answered everyone’s question.” When asked if there was any effort to conceal Biden’s condition, she responded, “Absolutely not.”

The investigation continues as the Oversight Committee plans to hear testimony from other key figures, including Biden’s former White House physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, and several other senior advisors. The National Pulse reported on Wednesday that Anthony Bernal, a senior adviser to Jill Biden described as the “Wizard of Oz” who ran the Biden White House, is refusing to testify, though Oversight chairman James Comer (R-KY) said the committee will move to subpoena Bernal. Additional aides facing subpoenas are Biden’s former chief of staff, Ron Klain, and communications advisor Anita Dunn.

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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June 25, 2025
Corruption
Politics

Who is Biden’s ‘Wizard of Oz’ Refusing to Testify Before Congress?

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Anthony Bernal, a senior adviser to Jill Biden, is refusing to testify before the House Oversight Committee regarding Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and potential misuse of the autopen.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Anthony Bernal, Representative James Comer (R-KY), Neera Tanden, and other Biden government aides.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Bernal declined to testify on June 26, 2025, following the White House Counsel’s Office announcement on June 25, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “With no privilege left to hide behind, Mr. Bernal is now running scared, desperate to bury the truth.” – Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer.

🎯IMPACT: The Oversight Committee plans to subpoena Bernal to compel testimony as part of the investigation into Biden’s fitness for office.

IN FULL

Anthony Bernal, a senior adviser to Jill Biden described as the “Wizard of Oz” who ran the Biden White House, is refusing to testify in the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and potential misuse of the autopen. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) announced on Wednesday that Bernal declined to appear for a June 26 interview, despite the White House waiving his executive privilege.

Comer criticized Bernal’s decision, stating, “Now that the White House has waived executive privilege, it’s abundantly clear that Anthony Bernal—Jill Biden’s so-called ‘work husband’—never intended to be transparent about Joe Biden’s cognitive decline and the ensuing cover-up. With no privilege left to hide behind, Mr. Bernal is now running scared, desperate to bury the truth. The American people deserve answers and accountability, and the Oversight Committee will not tolerate this obstruction. I will promptly issue a subpoena to compel Anthony Bernal’s testimony before the Committee.”

Bernal had initially agreed to participate in a transcribed interview. However, following the White House Counsel’s Office announcement that executive privilege for nine former Biden aides had been waived, Bernal’s legal team informed the committee he would no longer appear.

Comer also referenced testimony from Neera Tanden, the former White House staff secretary, who testified that she had minimal interaction with President Biden despite holding significant authority over the autopen process. Comer noted, “Her testimony raises serious questions about who was really calling the shots in the Biden White House amid the president’s obvious decline. We will continue to pursue the truth for the American people.”

Bernal is one of four Biden government aides, including Neera Tanden, Ashley Williams, and Annie Tomasini, who had previously agreed to transcribed interviews. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s former White House doctor, is scheduled to testify in a closed-door deposition on July 9.

A secret recording of now-former Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chair David Hogg and Biden White House staffer Deterrian Jones, covered by The National Pulse in Ma,y shows the pair describing Bernal as wielding “an enormous amount of power” and “scary.”

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June 25, 2025
Jack Montgomery
Crime
Politics

The Democrats’ Muslim Socialist NYC Mayoral Candidate Wants to Defund the Police and ‘Abolish’ Prison.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Democratic Party’s newly minted candidate for New York City Mayor, Zohran Kwame Mamdani, has a history of campaigning to defund the police and “abolish” the prison system.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Zohran Kwame Mamdani, Democratic Party voters, New York City electorate.

📍WHEN & WHERE: New York City, over the course of Mamdani’s political career.

💬KEY QUOTE: “As socialists, we believe people should not have to endure the violence & coercion of a criminal-legal system that props up the exploitation of the market by surveilling, caging & killing those fighting to survive under capitalism. We can abolish that system.” — Zohran Mamdani.

🎯IMPACT: Mamdani’s victory signals growing momentum within the modern Democratic Party for radical criminal justice policies, including prison abolition and police defunding.

IN FULL

Zohran Kwame Mamdani, the “progressive Muslim immigrant” who won the New York mayoral primary for the Democratic Party overnight, wants to “decarcerate” the city’s prisons and jails, arguing that “our prison system relies on dehumanization and brutality, so the goal must be to abolish this exploitative system entirely” in a 2021 social media post.

The Queens assemblyman has made “decarceration” a key theme of his political career, having also stated the previous year that, “We can’t reform a system working exactly as designed – to control Black, brown & poor New Yorkers. We need to defund the police, get them out of matters they have no business in, free the thousands locked up unjustly & invest the savings in those most impacted by state violence.”

He continued: “As socialists, we believe people should not have to endure the violence & coercion of a criminal-legal system that props up the exploitation of the market by surveilling, caging & killing those fighting to survive under capitalism. We can abolish that system.”

This activism continued into 2022, with Mamdani telling the LGBTQ-oriented Jim Owles Liberal Democratic Club, “I will… work to dismantle mass incarceration in New York by opposing the construction of new state prisons and jails, divesting from our $3 billion/year carceral system, and investing in jobs, services, and restorative justice approaches… I also support the abolition of felony disenfranchisement, including for incarcerated New Yorkers, as we work toward full decarceration of our state.”

In office, Mamdani has backed policies to end cash bail, release prisoners in their fifties, give prisoners the vote, and decriminalize prostitution.

He also argues that “Defunding the police is a feminist issue” because “Women, especially trans women, are disproportionately impacted by police violence & the violence of incarceration.”

Image by Bingjiefu He.

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June 25, 2025
William Upton
Politics
Sports

Trump DOE Finds Newsom’s Trans Policy Discriminates Against Real Women.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Education has found that California violated Title IX by continuing to allow biological males to compete in women’s sports.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: The U.S. Department of Education, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), the California Department of Education (CDE), Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon, and male and female athletes.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The investigations into California were launched in February and April, with their conclusion announced on Wednesday, June 25, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Although Governor Gavin Newsom admitted months ago it was ‘deeply unfair’ to allow men to compete in women’s sports, both the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation continued as recently as a few weeks ago to allow men to steal female athletes’ well-deserved accolades and to subject them to the indignity of unfair and unsafe competitions,” Trump’s Education Secretary Linda McMahon said.

🎯IMPACT: If California refuses to abide by federal directives, the Department of Education will refer the state to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for legal action.

IN FULL
President Donald J. Trump‘s Department of Education says the State of California has violated Title IX with its policies allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports. The determination was announced on Wednesday with the conclusion of two investigations launched in February and April into the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) and the California Department of Education (CDE).
Under California state law, biological males who claim to be transgender are allowed not only to compete in women’s sports but also to use women’s bathroom and locker facilities. Despite an Executive Order signed by President Trump in February barring men from participating in women’s sports, the CIF has publicly said it would not abide by federal law, choosing to only abide by state law instead. This resulted in the Department of Education launching an investigation. 
“Although Governor Gavin Newsom admitted months ago it was ‘deeply unfair’ to allow men to compete in women’s sports, both the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation continued as recently as a few weeks ago to allow men to steal female athletes’ well-deserved accolades and to subject them to the indignity of unfair and unsafe competitions,” Trump’s Education Secretary Linda McMahon said, adding: “The Trump Administration will relentlessly enforce Title IX protections for women and girls, and our findings today make clear that California has failed to adhere to its obligations under federal law. The state must swiftly come into compliance with Title IX or face the consequences that follow.” 
As part of its determination against California, the Department of Education is stipulating that the state restore any female athletic record taken by biological males. Additionally, state officials are directed to begin immediately complying with federal law. If California fails to abide by the Department of Education’s directives, the state will be referred to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for potential legal action. 
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June 25, 2025
Crime
Immigration
Politics

Dem Congresswoman to Plead Not Guilty to Assaulting ICE Personnel.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Congresswoman LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) is facing charges for impeding Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agents during an altercation at an immigration facility in May.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. LaMonica McIver, Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, and federal agents.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The incident occurred on May 9 at the Delaney Hall immigration facility in New Jersey. McIver is expected to plead “not guilty” to charges in court on Wednesday, June 25, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The facts of this case will prove I was simply doing my job and will expose these proceedings for what they are: a brazen attempt at political intimidation.” – Rep. LaMonica McIver.

🎯IMPACT: McIver faces up to 17 years in prison if convicted on all charges.

IN FULL

Representative LaMonica McIver (D-NJ) is set to appear in court to face charges stemming from a May 9 incident at the Delaney Hall immigration facility. McIver is accused of forcibly impeding federal officers during the attempted arrest of Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. The charges include allegations that McIver physically obstructed officers, using her arms to block and strike them.

According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Baraka had entered a secured area of the facility and refused to leave when asked by federal agents. As officers attempted to arrest him, McIver allegedly intervened, using physical force against the agents. Each of the first two counts against McIver carries a maximum sentence of eight years, while a third count carries up to one year.

Acting U.S. Attorney Alina Habba, who has previously represented President Donald J. Trump, is overseeing the prosecution. Habba stated that McIver “assaulted, impeded, and interfered with law enforcement.” In response, McIver has denied the charges, asserting that the case is a politically motivated attempt to intimidate her.

“The facts of this case will prove I was simply doing my job and will expose these proceedings for what they are: a brazen attempt at political intimidation,” McIver said in a statement. She added, “This indictment is no more justified than the original charge and is an effort by Trump’s administration to dodge accountability for the chaos ICE caused and scare me out of doing the work I was elected to do.”

Meanwhile, the Campaign for Accountability, a liberal watchdog group, has filed an ethics complaint against Habba, accusing her of targeting McIver and Baraka for their involvement in the protest and oversight visit. The group alleges the charges are politically motivated. Baraka, who was arrested during the incident, had a trespassing charge against him dismissed.

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June 25, 2025
Politics

Far-Left Immigrant Zohran Mamdani Has Won the Dems’ NYC Mayoral Primary.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Zohran Mamdani, a Uganda-born Democratic Socialist, defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and other Democratic leaders.

📍WHEN & WHERE: The primary election took place in New York City on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “Tonight, we made history. In the words of Nelson Mandela, it always seems impossible until it is done… I will be your Democratic nominee for the Mayor of New York City,” Mamdani said, before declaring that NYC will be a city “…where the mayor will use their power to reject Donald Trump’s fascism—to stop mass ICE agents from deporting our neighbors… .”

🎯IMPACT: Mamdani’s victory is seen as a tectonic shift in the Democratic Party, with younger and progressive voters gaining influence. The mayoral candidate was backed by a far-left political coalition led by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), herself rising quickly as the potential front-runner for the Democratic Party’s 2028 presidential nomination.

IN FULL

Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani defeated former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in a stunning upset during the New York City Democratic mayoral primary. Mamdani, a two-term Queens assemblyman originally from Uganda, secured 43 percent of the vote compared to Cuomo’s 36 percent, with 96 percent of precincts reporting. Cuomo conceded Tuesday evening, acknowledging Mamdani’s victory.

Notably, Mamdani was backed by a far-left political coalition led by progressive Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who is widely seen as a potential front-runner for the 2028 Democratic Party presidential nomination. Along with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ocasio-Cortez helped to rally young Democrats to Mamadni—with the latter’s radical politics serving as a selling point over the more establishment views of former Governor Cuomo.

Basil Smikle, a former executive director of the New York State Democratic Party, remarked, “It’s an important moment in political history. Mamdani ran as an economic populist. It was a campaign about affordability.” His proposals, including free bus fares and higher taxes on the wealthy, resonated with blue-collar voters, despite criticism of their feasibility. Cuomo’s campaign, despite backing by $25 million from a super PAC and support from several unions, struggled to match Mamdani’s grassroots momentum.

“Tonight, we made history. In the words of Nelson Mandela, it always seems impossible until it is done… I will be your Democratic nominee for the mayor of New York City,” Mamdani declared late Tuesday night. He continued: “We have won from Harlem to Bay Ridge… from Jackson Heights to Port Richmond… New Yorkers have stood up for a city they can afford—where those who toil in the night can enjoy the fruits of their labor in the day.”

“And it’s where the mayor will use their power to reject Donald Trump’s fascism—to stop mass ICE agents from deporting our neighbors, and to govern our city as a model for the Democratic Party, where we fight for working people with no apology,” Mamdani added.

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June 24, 2025
Media
Politics

Tucker Carlson Says Murdochs Asked Him to Challenge Trump for GOP Nomination — After Firing Him.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Tucker Carlson alleged that the Murdoch family asked him to run against Donald J. Trump for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination—after firing him from Fox News.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Rupert Murdoch, Lachlan Murdoch, and President Trump.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Carlson says this occurred in May 2023, following his termination in April 2023, as discussed on his show with guest Clayton Morris in June 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “The Murdochs really hate Trump. Like, there’s no one who hates Trump more than the Murdochs,” said Carlson.

🎯IMPACT: The revelation adds to ongoing speculation about the Murdoch family’s attitude towards the Trump administration, with the President having heavily criticized Fox News in recent weeks.

IN FULL

Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has claimed that the Murdoch family—owners of Fox News, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Post—urged him to run against Donald J. Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential primary. Carlson made the claim during a conversation with guest Clayton Morris on his show.

“The Murdochs really hate Trump. Like, there’s no one who hates Trump more than the Murdochs,” Carlson told Morris. He went on to allege that in May 2023, just a month after his firing, Lachlan Murdoch directly proposed the idea of him running against Trump for the Republican nomination, with the promise of full backing from their media empire.

“I got fired in April of 2023. In May of 2023, they asked me to run for President against Trump and said they would back me. Obviously, I’m not gonna be running for any office,” Carlson said, adding, “I like Trump!”

Morris pressed for clarification, asking if the suggestion came directly from Lachlan Murdoch. Carlson confirmed, stating, “Yeah, Lachlan Murdoch said, ‘You should run… We’ll back you, the whole thing.’” He continued, “I was still under contract, but they canceled my show. ‘You should run, we support you, you should run.’”

Carlson also suggested that the Murdochs’ motivation was to counter Trump’s presidential campaign, with Morris summarizing, “We want to stop Trump.” Carlson replied, “Yeah, well, he was running.”

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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June 24, 2025
William Upton
Economy
Politics

Fed Civil War as Even Democrats Push Powell to Cut Rates.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell faced bipartisan pressure from House Democrats and House Republicans to begin cutting interest rates during a Tuesday hearing on Capitol Hill.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Democrat and Republican members of the House Financial Services Committee, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, President Donald J. Trump, and Federal Reserve Board of Governors members Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Powell testified before the House Financial Services Committee on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: “From our side, we’d love to see the rates go down,” said Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA), adding: “I know a number of my colleagues on the other side would love to see the rates go down. I think it’s pretty unanimous.”

🎯IMPACT: With President Trump, GOP and Democrat lawmakers, and Federal Reserve governors increasingly opposed to Powell’s refusal to cut rates, he may be forced to begin climbing down from his position.

IN FULL

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is facing mounting pressure both internally at the central bank and externally from the White House and a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers on Capitol Hill to begin reducing U.S. interest rates. Appearing before Congress on Tuesday, Powell was peppered by House Republicans and Democrats alike to explain his reasoning for not moving to reduce the cost of borrowing.

“From our side, we’d love to see the rates go down,” Congressman Juan Vargas (D-CA) told the Fed chairman during a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Tuesday. The California Democrat added: “I know a number of my colleagues on the other side would love to see the rates go down. I think it’s pretty unanimous.”

Just before the hearing, President Donald J. Trump urged lawmakers to grill Powell, posting on Truth Social: “I hope Congress really works this very dumb, hardheaded person, over.”

The bipartisan pressure faced by Powell was compounded in recent days, which saw two members of the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors, who sit on the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), announce their support for the central bank to begin cutting rates in July. On Friday, Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller acknowledged that fears over President Trump’s tariffs reigniting inflation were overblown. “I think we’re in the position that we could do this as early as July,” Waller stated, adding: “That would be my view, whether the committee would go along with it or not.”

Waller was joined on Monday by his fellow Fed governor and FOMC member, Michelle Bowman, who echoed her colleague. “It is likely that the impact of tariffs on inflation may take longer, be more delayed, and have a smaller effect than initially expected,” Bowman said in a speech at a research conference in Prague. She added: “Should inflation pressures remain contained, I would support lowering the policy rate as soon as our next meeting.”

Despite increasing internal and external pressure on Powell to slash rates, the Federal Reserve chairman remains obstinate. “As long as the economy’s strong, we can take a little bit of a pause,” Powell told House lawmakers in response to their push for a July rate cut. While the central bank chief acknowledged that the hard data suggests he should have continued reducing rates after the Fed’s last cut in December, Powell—repeating a mantra he has stated for months—insisted: “The difference, of course, is at this time, all forecasters are expecting pretty soon, that some significant inflation will show up from tariffs.”

However, there has been no evidence of a resurgence of inflation due to the tariffs imposed by the Trump White House. In fact, as Trump’s Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has noted, the tariffs may actually be having a deflationary effect, which should—under normal circumstances—spur the Federal Reserve to reduce interest rates.

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June 24, 2025
William Upton
Politics

DEI Loving, Trump Threatening Dem Named Ranking Member of Powerful Congressional Committee.

PULSE POINTS

❓WHAT HAPPENED: Congressman Robert Garcia (D-CA) has been tapped to replace the late Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) as the ranking member on the House Oversight Committee, beating out his fellow far-left colleague, Jasmine Crockett (D-TX). Garcia, in his second term of office, was previously the subject of an inquiry by federal prosecutors over implied threats against President Donald J. Trump and Elon Musk.

👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Rep. Robert Garcia, Rep. Jasmine Crockett, House Democrats, the House Oversight Committee, and the late Rep. Gerry Connolly.

📍WHEN & WHERE: Garcia was elected as ranking member on Tuesday, June 24, 2025.

💬KEY QUOTE: In February, Garcia was accused of threatening Musk and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff during a televised interview, stating, “What the American public want is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar fight. This is an actual fight for democracy.”

🎯IMPACT: Despite his history of radical and inflammatory statements, the 47-year-old Garcia is being billed by his Democrat colleagues as a “coalition builder” and “cool and calm under the storm.”

IN FULL

Congressman Robert Garcia (D-CA), an openly gay lawmaker who migrated to the United States from Peru as a minor, has been elected by his House Democrat colleagues as the ranking member on the powerful House Oversight Committee. Garcia succeeds the late Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA), who passed away in May following a battle against esophageal cancer.

The 47-year-old California Democrat and close ally of Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is being billed by his party as a “coalition builder” and “cool and calm under the storm.” However, Garcia’s public statements and divisive political positions render descriptions highly questionable. The National Pulse reported in February that Garcia was the subject of an inquiry by then-U.S. Attorney Ed Martin over alleged threats the Democrat lawmaker had made towards the Trump administration, particularly Elon Musk and staff working at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).

“What the American public want is for us to bring actual weapons to this bar fight,” Garcia said during a panel discussion on CNN, adding: “This is an actual fight for democracy.” Rather than recognizing the inflammatory nature of his attacks on Musk and DOGE, Garcia instead accused the Department of Justice (DOJ) of targeting him.

Meanwhile, late last year, Garcia spearheaded an effort to use the threat of Congressional action to pressure major U.S. corporations to maintain discriminatory diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, despite mounting consumer and shareholder backlash. “Inclusion is a core American value, and a great business practice,” Garcia and nearly 50 House Democrats joining him wrote. “By embracing this value, you create safer and fairer workplaces without sacrificing quality or financial success.”

Garcia defeated a crowded field of fellow Democrats in the Oversight Committee’s ranking member election, including the far-left progressive Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Rep. Kweisi Mfume (D-MD), and Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA).

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